Pronunciation US/UK - World Englishes - Languages

Back to US/UK Englishes - finish this!!

Video: British vs US American English

Pronunciation differences in a nutshell:

• In US American English people pronounce all the r's and in British English they don't pronounce the r when it follows a vowel:
• Listen! (click audio symbol) - US Am pron.: far, car, March, war, warp, airport, mother, teacher, December, center, theater, third, bird, first, girl, thirty, thirteen, word, world, color, neighbor, curtsey, burp, further...
  Listen! (click audio symbol) - British pron.: far, car, March, war, warp, airport, mother, teacher, December, centre*, theatre*, third, bird, first, girl, thirty, thirteen, word, world, colour, neighbour, curtsey, burp, further...
  * this -re British ending is also included
• This is related to the fact that there seems to be more /ae/ sounds [la "a" déspota: lengua baja tipo tobogán empujando interior dientes de abajo] in US Am English than in British English, which, in turn, seems to have more /a:/ sounds [parece que esa a es un globo que se infla solo dentro de la boca]. However, remember that both standards have both sounds.

Listen to Louis Armstrong & Ella Fitzgerald singing Let's Call the Whole Thing Off! and learn the song!

Let's Call the Whole Thing Off

Verse
Things have come to a pretty pass
Our romance is growing flat,
For you like this and the other
While I go for this and that,
Goodness knows what the end will be
Oh I don't know where I'm at
It looks as if we two will never be one
Something must be done:

Chorus - 1
You say either and I say either, You say neither and I say neither
Either, either Neither, neither, Let's call the whole thing off.

You like potato and I like potato, You like tomato and I like tomato
Potato, potato, Tomato, tomato, Let's call the whole thing off

But oh, if we call the whole thing off Then we must part
And oh, if we ever part, then that might break my heart

So if you like pajamas and I like pyjamas, I'll wear pajamas and give up
pyjamas
For we know we need each other so we Better call the whole off off
Let's call the whole thing off.

Chorus - 2
You say laughter and I say laughter, You say after and I say after
laughter, laughter After after, Let's call the whole thing off,

You like vanilla and I like vanilla, You saspiralla, and I saspirilla
Vanilla vanilla chocolate strawberry, Let's call the whole thing off

But oh if we call the whole thing of then we must part
And oh, if we ever part, then that might break my heart

So if you go for oysters and I go for ersters, I'll order oysters and cancel
the oysters
For we know we need each other so we, Better call the calling off off,
Let's call the whole thing off.

Chorus - 3
I say father, and you say pater, I saw mother and you say mater
Pater, mater Uncle, auntie, let's call the whole thing off.

I like bananas and you like bananas, I say Havana and I get Havana
Bananas, Bananas Havana, Havana, Go your way, I'll go mine

So if I go for scallops and you go for lobsters, So all right no contest we'll
order lobster
For we know we need each other so we, Better call the calling off off,
Let's call the whole thing off.